000

"No I need a 7/8ths, this is a 15/16ths wrench."

"Oh sorry Slippy."

"You okay Fox? You're acting like your still half asleep."

That's because I'm still dreaming about this morning.

"Yeah I'm fine," he replied shaking his head, "I'm just trying to figure out how we're going to pay the bills this month."

It wasn't a lie, the problem had been on his mind all week, and even after their payment from Pepper for their actions on Sauria they were still hurting badly for credits. But as important as that problem was at the moment, it didn't hold a candle to what was really on his thoughts.

The vulpine turned his gaze back towards the toad and took the wrench from him before heading back to the tool chest next to his Arwing. He hadn't meant to grab the wrong size, and it wasn't like he didn't know which one to get by now, but his train of thought had been interrupted yet again. Any time he had been able to clear his mind for more than a second it always returned to the scene he had partook in that morning in the hallway with Krystal.

I cant believe I got to see that. Man...if she looks that amazing with only half her clothes on just think of what kind of goddess she'll look like without any.

He sharply inhaled and looked around, praying to whatever deity would listen, hoping that Krystal hadn't heard him think that. He assumed he was already in enough trouble with her for seeing what he did, much less letting her catch him thinking perverted thoughts about it.

Er, I mean...It was simply an accident and nothing more. So what if I saw her breasts? It's not like I haven't seem a vixen topless before. Of course...none of them can compare to her, but that's obvious. I mean just look at how...

Shut up!

An annoyed sigh escaped him as he shook his head once again and looked around the hanger to make sure the sapphire fox hadn't entered the area. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep her off his mind, and truthfully that was the case even before the incident this morning. The whole week all he could think about was what to say around her, how to act, what to do. Anything and everything he had to do to impress her.

He let his mind drift back to the night he had shown the vixen her bedroom, insisting that he move his belongings into it so she could have the vulpine's larger, more accommodating room. A grin slid across his face as he remembered the feel of her lips against his cheek as she told him that the room was perfect. Of course it had surprised him, but at the same time he couldn't shake the feeling that it was something more.

"So most of the money went back to the loan sharks?"

Slippy's question pulled him out of his thoughts and the vulpine shook his head, clearing his throat before answering. "Yeah. It's not where it should have gone, but before the Sauria mission it was either take out a loan or risk GreatFox shutting down and us starving."

The toad slid out from under the Arwing, sighing and reaching for his grease towel, "Sad thing is," he mumbled depressingly, "GreatFox isn't in much better shape now than it was then, which reminds me...the gravity diffuser has been giving fits all morning."

Fox let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead, resting his back against the tool stand behind him as he added another task to his 'to do' list. The diffuser was what made GreatFox capable of fighting and protecting itself. If it went out then they could all be as good as dead while aboard. It was an easy fix, as important as it was. Yet the cost of any part or tool needed for it was unbelievably high and credits were something that he simply didn't have.

"Let me guess...another master fuse is getting too old to function right?"

Slippy nodded and pulled himself up, apparently done with his work for the moment. "It's the one that keeps our shields up and our weapons firing. Without it we're dead meat for anyone who wants to take us down."

Unless we're able to get off the ship with our Arwings and fight them off...but we cant risk that. Without shields up one good shot could take down an entire dreadnaught.

He began walking back towards the stairway that led up to the command post, Slippy following behind. "So what are we looking at?" he asked the toad, stepping up the stairs. "Ten...twenty thousand credits?"

The amphibian pulled out a mechanics magazine he had been carrying in his back pocket, easily flipping to the page he had marked with the part. "Looks like...ehhhh...well...around...

"Just tell me how much Slippy."

"Seventy-five thousand credits."

The vulpine's foot froze on the top step and he had to grit he teeth to refrain from cursing out loud. Seventy-five thousand credits! He didn't have half that much! And he couldn't take out another loan, not so soon after paying off the last ones. But without that fuse they would all be in danger, serious danger. He had made his fair share of enemies and none of them would hesitate to blow up the entire ship just to kill him.

I'm just not ready to chance something like that. I cant risk losing my friends.

Then with a sudden deep realization he knew the real truth behind his thoughts.

I cant risk losing her.

He unclenched his hand from around the handrail and continued up the stairs and into the hall, doing his best to shake the image of the vixen from his mind and focus on the 'real' problem ahead.

"I know we cant afford that Fox," Slippy added, walking behind him as they made their way towards the lounge, "So I'm going to do my best to keep the old one in tact until we have a few more credits to spare."

"How long you think the old one will last?"

"Maybe a month, two if we don't use the shields or weapons unless absolutely necessary. The less the fuse has to fire, the more time we'll have."

The vulpine nodded, rounding the corner and entering the lounge now, instantly being greeted by the sprawled out figure of Falco laying on the couch. He looked up and noticed Katt standing beside him, watching the television with a vague look in her eyes. He sighed and made his way over to the avian; grabbing him by the collar and jerking him up into a sitting position.

"Hey! Ah Fox what the hell!" he yelled, straightening his shirt.

"Until you buy your own couch you have to share this one." he replied, pointing down at the sorry excuse for a sofa.

The bird looked up at him with an angry and confused expression causing Fox to sigh yet again and nod at Katt, "In other words, let Katt have a seat."

Falco grumbled a few words under his breath before scooting over and allowing the pink feline to plop down next to him, the cat looking back at Fox and winking. "Thanks but I could've made him move myself ya know."

"Yeah," the vulpine replied, "But you wouldn't have."

Slippy walked around and forced himself down on the other side of Falco causing the bird to let out an aggravated sigh. With a smirk on his face Fox made his way into the kitchen, It was past 6pm and he knew that he needed to eat something. What, he didn't know. But something. Of all the different types of sustenance Tricky had sent with them from Sauria he knew he wouldn't have hard time finding something to hold him over. Whether it was 'delicious' or not, well...that was a different story.

He heard the soft pad of feet behind him and turned, hoping to see the sapphire beauty of his dreams but instead locking gazes with Katt.

"Yeah, I'm too hungry to sit in there and watch commercials of amazing looking food," she said, smiling and making her way over to the fridge. "We have anything in here good to eat?"

"Just what you see," he replied, admiring the feline's physique and instantly kicking himself for doing so. C'mon Fox, if there's even a chance that Krystal likes you then you're gonna blow it by letting your mind wander too much.

She sighed and stood back up, turning and facing him with a gallon of milk in her hand. "Guess I'll just have cereal tonight."

"What about all that food from Sauria?"

"To be honest," she replied, pouring some fruity pebbles into the bowl, "I never learned to cook anything more complex than this." she finished by adding milk to the bowl, grabbing a spoon, and sitting down at the table.

"Well I've got you beat there then," he answering, grabbing a bowl of his own and pouring some cereal into it, "I know how to cook a few things. It's not real hard you know?"

Katt shrugged and swallowed another spoonful, "Maybe you could teach me sometime."

"Whats to teach? You just throw it over some heat, add flavor, and when it doesn't taste completely horrible you eat it."

Her gaze met his and the feline couldn't help but laugh, spilling milk down her chin in the process. He grinned and commenced to putting away his own bowl, grateful to have a female in his life that he could talk to and not act like a complete idiot around. But it had always been like that around her. He knew that she had fallen for Falco, and it seemed that after that boundary had been established he was able to sit and talk with her as easy as he could with any of his friends. She acted so tough and nonchalant around them and it wasn't hard to just act normal around her which, other than Falco, they all did.

"Anyways," he continued, swallowing another mouthful of the half stale cereal, "Have you seen Krystal?"

He tried to sound as casual and normal as he possibly could but the small twinkle of amusement that passed through Katt's gaze caught his eye and he couldn't help but feel his face turn red from it.

"It's just, I haven't seen her since this morning..." at the mention of the start of the day his mind pictured the half naked fox before him yet again and he struggled to regain his train of thought, "and...and...I figured she...might be hungry."

Katt grinned and leaned back in her chair, obviously amused with the vulpine's attempt to show an interest in her best friend. She knew what he was thinking, Krystal had told her all about the incident earlier that day and it was obvious that the fox before her still had the image stuck in his mind.

"Yeah I've seen her," Katt answered, slurping some of the milk from her bowl, "About an hour ago she went into her room to meditate but she told me to come get her after I ate."

"Oh okay...I was just...

"But I think I'll give her a few more minutes." Katt continued, interrupting the vulpine and pushing her seat back and standing, "I need to grab a shower anyways. Do you think you could get her for me?"

He saw the pink feline's tail swish back and forth in amusement and he knew what she was trying to do. Apparently Katt was as farfetched as himself if she honestly thought Krystal liked him. But he wouldn't let her rattle him, and there was no way he'd turn down an opportunity to talk to the vixen. He could only imagine how she would react to him though, neither of them having seen the other since their unplanned encounter this morning.

"Yeah no problem," he replied calmly, taking another bite of cereal and forcing it down his throat and past the nervous knot that had formed in his gut.

Katt placed her bowl and spoon in the sink before turning and making her way towards the lounge, stopping at the doorway before saying one last thing, "By the way," she murmured, her face now vacant of the earlier amusement, "I kind of overheard you and Slippy talking about that fuse."

He stopped the spoon that was halfway to his mouth, looking up at her and waiting to see how she reacted to the bad news.

"I know money is short around here," she continued, "But consider the napkin container my little 'thank you' for having me on the ship."

He began to ask what she meant but instead followed her gaze to the middle of the table where the napkins sat along with the salt, pepper, and other various kitchen items. "The napkin container?" he asked, a grin forming as he expected the joke to reveal itself any second now.

"Look underneath it you dope," she added with a laugh.

He grinned and reached forward, picking it up and instantly recognizing the familiar silver banner of a credit check. He picked it up and looked it over, noticing it was from Katt's account and, after unfolding it and looking it over, realized it was for a shocking ten-thousand credits...

"And don't even think about trying to return it," she muttered, "That's my gift to the team, and I would be hurt if you didn't accept it."

Without giving him time to protest the pink feline made her way through the lounge and towards her room, leaving the surprised fox at the table with the ten-thousand credit check loosely hanging between two fingers.

Ten-thousand credits...it's nowhere near enough but it's a hell of a lot more than I had before. Katt...I cant believe her. I swear, if I had never met Krystal I would be chasing after her instead.

He looked down at the check and closed his eyes. It was another small step on their road to recovery. He hated seeing his team like this, living on the bare essentials, doing anything they could to survive, yet he knew that none of them really minded it. But it was with Krystal that he was worried. With her he didn't know how she felt. Did she hate her new lifestyle? Did she regret joining the team now that she saw the life she was going to have to live? It was questions like those that made him want to do whatever it took to make things better. He had to impress her, he had to make her happy.

The check slipped out from between his fingers and he reopened his eyes, quickly finishing off his cereal and putting it all away before heading back towards his room.

"You guys better find something to eat before the only thing left requires you to actually 'cook' it," he muttered to Falco and Slippy who remained on the couch.

Falco merely grunted and Slippy slowly rose to his feet, stretching and turning towards the kitchen, nodding at Fox on his way out. "I guess I can cook me up something." he answered, "You want me to make enough for you too Falco?"

"That depends," the avian replied, "Is it going to taste anything like last time? If so then I'll pass."

"No it wont, geeze," Slippy retorted, somewhat annoyed, "You use garlic pepper instead of black pepper ONE time and no one wants to even be in the kitchen with you anymore."

"All right, make some for me then," Falco answered, turning around towards Fox before adding, "So, what were you and Katt gossiping about?"

He instantly looked up at the bird, folding the check and casually sliding it in his back pocket. "Ah just the usual," he replied, "How bad my cooking is, how stupid you are, you know...same ole."

Falco snorted and rolled back over, once more taking up the full length of the couch as he turned his attention towards the television. The vulpine breathed a sigh of relief and turned towards the hall. He couldn't let Falco know about Katt giving him that much money. He wasn't sure why yet, but he just knew it was a bad idea. Any reaction Falco would have to the news of the pink feline's gift to the team would more than likely be a bad one.

He stepped up to his door, looking down at the next one, knowing Krystal was in there. Her perfect body, her eyes, nose, tail, hair, all of it perfectly sitting in there. He slowly opened his door and looked away from her room, making his way over to his dresser and emptying his pockets. He took the check and placed it in the back corner of the top drawer, making sure it was hidden from anyone who might decide to pry.

Not that anyone here would do that though.

His world was messed up right now and he knew it. He owed debts that he couldn't pay, he had friends that he couldn't support, and worst of all he had a love that he couldn't proclaim. He sighed and slipped off his shirt and pants, quickly switching into a black tanktop and matching black jogging pants before stepping back and looking himself over in the mirror.

I know its all in my imagination, but what does it hurt to try and impress her? With everything else in my life I have to struggle against I might as well take a few chances right?

He couldn't help but grin and shake his head, surprising himself with his immaturity. He knew he was feeling sorry for himself and he couldn't stand that feeling. He had no right to take pity on himself, not when he had a roof over his head, food in his stomach, and friends by his side. If he just had her then he'd be the luckiest guy in the universe. All the debts, all the problems, they all would just melt away.

He turned and made his way back towards the exit, seeing the shadow of a moving figure passing by beneath the door and looking out in time to see Katt's pink tail vanish into the bathroom. He cleared his throat and did a few neck rolls, jumping in place and loosening his arms.

Jesus Fox just go get her. You aren't going to run a marathon.

The vulpine made his way down the hall and up to her door, resting his paw on the handle and softening his breathing in an attempt to hear any movement from the vixen from inside. Wait! Don't just open the door you idiot! Knock first!

"Oh right," he muttered to himself, loosening his grip on the handle and running his paw up the door. He gave three good taps and stepped back, glad that his brain was finally deciding to help him out.

"Hey Fox!"

He turned his head down the hall in the direction of Slippy's voice, doing his best to hide the surprise the toad had scared into him.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking back towards the door, hearing faint steps from the other side.

"Peppy says you've got live video feed!" Slippy yelled, his eyes full of excitement.

The vulpine sighed yet again, "All right, tell them I'll be there in few minutes."

"No you gotta come now!" Slippy yelled, his voice still full of exhilaration.

It must be Pepper, and judging by Slippy's look he's got some good news. Maybe things are starting to turn around. He heard the footsteps drawing closer on the other side of the door and he knew that the vixen would be before him any second now. Whoever it was, they weren't as important as Krystal.

"Just a minute Slippy."

"You don't understand! Its-

000

She pulled the door open, expecting the nervous, shy vulpine to be standing before her. She had sensed him coming down the hall, felt his emotions and thoughts as he readied himself to meet her. She smiled to herself, loving the way he felt for her, not knowing that she could read minds from one end of the ship to the other. She had been with him all day. Part of her felt bad for invading the vulpine's privacy like that but, as much as she hated to admit it, after this morning she was too shy herself to come face to face with him. But at least in her mind she was able to spend time with him.

The moment for mental quality time had came to an end though, and as she opened the door she knew that the vulpine would do his best to charm her for the rest of the night.

That was, if he had been standing there.

Wait...did I imagine Fox coming to my room and knocking on my door?

She leaned forward and looked down the hall, catching the tip of the vulpine's tail as he vanished around the end of the hall and headed towards the control room, a sense of urgency in his step. She immediately took off behind him, following them down the bridge before pausing at the entrance to the control room and peeking her head around the door as she heard the tone of an unfamiliar voice cry out in happiness.

She looked up at the screen, instantly being greeted by the excited face another vixen.

"Fara," Fox whispered, disbelief coating his voice.

Fara?

I know that feeling inside him...

000